New museum opens in Naples: Casa Museo Murolo, dedicated to Neapolitan musical tradition

Naples is enriched with a new cultural venue: the “Mu” - Murolo House Museum, a space entirely dedicated to the great Neapolitan musical tradition, opens in the Vomero. The museum is located in the historic home that was home to the poet Ernesto Murolo (Naples, 1876 - 1939) and his son Roberto, among the most famous interpreters of Neapolitan song. An initiative that combines public and private, made possible thanks to the collaboration between theFederico II University, the San Pietro a Majella Conservatory and the Napulitanata youth association. The museum covers 160 square meters and preserves the original conformation of the rooms, including four main rooms, storerooms and services. Nineteenth-century furnishings, decorations and wall shades have remained intact, offering visitors a plunge into history. Here, between the 19th and 20th centuries, meetings were held with some of the most influential figures in Neapolitan culture, including Salvatore Di Giacomo, the De Filippo brothers, Libero Bovio, Totò, Raffaele Viviani and Francesco Paolo Tosti. A tradition that has continued until more recent times, when the house has welcomed the likes of Fabrizio De André, Mia Martini and Renzo Arbore.

The beating heart of the museum is the collection of memorabilia kept by the Roberto Murolo Foundation, which was established at the maestro’s behest and is now chaired by Mario Coppeto. Among the items on display are original manuscripts, autographed letters, photographs, rare books, gramophones and vintage radios. Especially valuable is the collection of 78-rpm records, many of them unobtainable or previously unreleased. Music lovers will also be able to admire instruments that belonged to Roberto Murolo, including guitars and mandolins, as well as numerous paintings and official awards. Among the most significant honors are the title of Grand Officer of the Crown of Italy conferred on Ernesto Murolo by Vittorio Emanuele III and the Knighthood of the Grand Cross awarded to Roberto Murolo by Presidents Carlo Azeglio Ciampi and Oscar Luigi Scalfaro. A historic moment was the Lifetime Achievement Award that the maestro received in 2002 during the Sanremo Festival, with a worldwide connection directly from his home. The “Mu”-Murolo House Museum will be open to the public on weekends with visits curated by volunteers from the Napulitanata Association. An initiative made possible thanks to a memorandum of understanding between the Federico II University and the Civil Service, which will guarantee music and culture enthusiasts the opportunity to discover a piece of Neapolitan history up close.

“The opening of this House Museum dedicated to the Murolo family,” stressed Councillor for Tourism and Productive Activities Teresa Armato, “represents an important step in the promotion of our cultural and musical identity. Neapolitan song is a world heritage, and with this initiative we will be able to offer visitors an immersive experience beyond traditional tourist destinations. This project is fully part of our strategy to better distribute tourist flows, favoring areas of the city that are less traveled but equally rich in history and tradition. Naples is not just the historic center: our music resonates in every corner of the city, and now tourists will be able to discover its roots in a new and equally evocative context.”

“Mu - Murolo House Museum wants to be a driving force for the whole territory,” says Roberto Murolo Foundation President Mario Coppeto. “A House Museum open to the city in which to also carry out musical and workshop activities not only for young people, a tool to help generate value for the Neapolitan and Campania area. The home of the family of Neapolitan artists will be a place usable through guided tours, training, study and consultation activities and where micro-concerts and a lutherie workshop will also be organized. The opening of ”Mu,“ the ”author’s house,“ marks a turning point in the action of promoting Neapolitan music and, in a broader sense, the city’s culture. Within this framework, enjoyment by citizens but also by the many tourists visiting Naples will help to spread the face of an open city and showcase the different souls of a world yet to be discovered and enhanced. Roberto Murolo was a fine musician and an incomparable artist, and we want to contribute to the knowledge of his art.”

New museum opens in Naples: Casa Museo Murolo, dedicated to Neapolitan musical tradition

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